Widening Worlds: Understanding and teaching new literacies
Abstract
"New conceptions of literacies and the practices associated with them call for new approaches to preparing teachers to engage students in literacy as a situated social phenomenon. This article describes two teacher educators' engagement in collaborative self-study as we implemented The New Literacies Project to help pre-service teachers expand their conceptions of literacy and their knowledge of how to incorporate new literacies pedagogies into K-6 teaching and learning. We discuss how teacher candidates' conceptions of new literacies and their connections to classroom practice evolved over time, and how our own evolving conception of new literacies influenced ways the project was conceptualized, structured, and supported. The candidates' learning experiences seemed powerful enough to help them expand their conceptions of literacy, including digital literacy, and most were able to talk broadly about implications for classroom teaching and learning. However, many were not able to fully integrate technology and new literacies in their planning. We conclude with suggestions for future research and invite dialog among teacher educators about their own pedagogical challenges and promising approaches to designing authentic learning opportunities."
Reference
Rosaen, C. & Terpstra, M. (2012). Widening Worlds: Understanding and teaching new literacies. Studying Teacher Education: Journal Of Self-Study Of Teacher Education Practices, 8(1), 35-49.
Journal
Studying Teacher Education: Journal Of Self-Study Of Teacher Education Practices
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- 5-year program offering BA , followed by MA and initial certification
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
51
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Blog group discussion
- course materials
- email correspondence
- lesson plans
- student work
Data Analysis Tools
- coding to a prior categories
- Self-Study
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
Drawing from students' written work produced in the course, what understandings do students exhibit of the concept of literacy? How are new ideas used in their planning of language arts instruction? (pp. 39-40).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
Drawing from instructor artifacts and communication, how did the structure and content of an assigned new literacies project change over time "in relation to [the instructors'] evolving conception?" (p. 40)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown